Picture holder



Patented July 4, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT mice PICTURE HOLDER Edward E.Goforth, Morristown, Tenn.

Application August 8, 1946, Serial No. 689,218

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in picture holders, such as maybe used to hold a picture or other sheet of material, and to form aprotective cover therefor.

It has been customary heretofore to enclose pictures, drawings,certificates and the like Within a picture frame whereby these may besupported on the wall and provided with a protective cover such as asheet of glass. Such frames are expensive and often add a detractingeffect to the picture itself.

The object of this invention is to improve holders for this purpose, todispense with the usual picture frame required heretofore, and yet toprovide an effective and secure support for the picture.

This object is accomplished, according to one embodiment of theinvention, by supporting the object or securing it to a support by meansof a split ring which has sufficient resiliency to hold the picture orother sheet in proper position on the support. The picture or othersheet may be covered with a sheet of glass for protecting purposes and aseries of split spring rings used to secure the parts together in aneffective manner. These rings preferably are initially flat and thesides thereof are twisted or displaced transversely in embracingrelation with the glass and picture, so as to clamp these parts ineffective secure relationship that Will serve to hold them in place.

This embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a picture holder of the characterprovided by this invention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a detailed horizontal section therethrough showing a slightmodification.

While the invention is described as useful for the supporting ofpictures, it is contemplated that various other objects may be supportedin like manner, such as certificates, special papers and sheets ofvarious kinds which may be placed on display and protected in use.

A backing sheet is shown at I over which a sheet of glass or othertransparent covering material extends as indicated at 2, preferablythroughout the area of the backing sheet. The picture may be printed orotherwise depicted directly on the front face of the sheet I, or thismay be another type of display sheet adapted for exposure in a displayposition. If it is desired, however, the display material may beinterposed between the sheets I and 2, as for instance, by inserting aphotograph, certificate or picture 2 therebetween, and be retained inplace by these sheets.

The parts are held in their proper relations by a series of fastenings3, which are spaced at intervals around the edges of the sheets I and 2.Each of the fastenings 3 is in the form of an initially fiat spring ringsplit at one side, and the ends thereof deflected laterally in oppositedirections in embracing relation over the sheets as shown particularlyin Fig. 2. The yieldability of this ring will apply transverse clampingpressure on the edge of the sheets to confine these in securerelationship with respect to each other and hold them effectively intheir proper positions. A suitable number of rings may be used for thispurpose according to the size of the sheets.

Two of the rings at one end of the sheet are shown as forming a supportfor the holder by being connected together through a strand 4 which willserve as a hanging support and by means of which the holder may besuspended on a wall.

It will be evident that a holder may be connected with any of the rings3, either to provide a hanging support for the picture or other displaymatter, or to provide a stand to hold it in display position.

If it is desired to seal the edges of the sheets, this may be done by asealing material as indicated at 5 in Fig. 3. This sealing material maybe a plastic that extends over the adjacent edges of the sheets I and 2,or it may be formed by a strip or tape of sealing material that may beapplied readily to the edges of the sheets.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in oneembodiment, it is appreciated that modifications and changes may be madetherein without departing from the invention, except as specified in theclaims.

I claim:

1. A sheet holder of the character described comprising an arcuate splitfiat spring ring of rectangular cross section having the ends of saidring spaced apart in a vertical plane and offset in a transverse planeconstructed so that the flat end portions of said ring embrace the edgeportion of said sheet.

2. A sheet holder of the character described comprising arcuate flatsplit spring rings, each ring being of rectangular cross section havingthe ends of said ring spaced apart and offset in a transverse plane andprovided with fiat surfaces adjacent the ends thereof, said rings beingconstructed so that the flat end surfaces thereof embrace therebetweenthe flat surfaces of said sheet and surround the edge of said sheet,said rings being adapted to be spaced apart about 4 UNITED STATESPATENTS Number Name Date the edges of sa1d sheet for holdlng the sheetabout 266,814 Harris Oct-h 31, 1382 the edges thereofl 907,615 ManningDec. 22, 1908 EDWARD GOFQRTK 5 1,066,495 Helvig et a1 July 8, 19132,268,529 Stiles Dec. 30, 1941 REFERENCES CITED 2,403,491 Bogia, July 9,1946 The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

